Once Apon A Time
by gnomesbeatfaeries
Summary: Once apon a time in a land far far away... who am i kidding? this is a kelcleon. arnt they cute together? so...umm this is after Lady Knight. Please randr
1. Chapter 1

"What's going on here?" asked Kel as she stepped into a very crowded and loud mess hall. As the tallest person in the room, Kel's comment went unnoticed by few.

"It's these new refugees. They think that just because their new that they don't have to cook their own dinners," said Perin the cook.

"And why would they think that?" asked Kel.

"Well, I told them they could use the ovens in the kitchens. I didn't think it would be a problem," said a familiar voice. Bright red hair, unnoticed before, stood out from over the tops of other heads. Kel's gasped. It couldn't be. As the crowd thinned around her, Kel found out it could. She was greeted by a freckly face. Not just any freckly face, but one Kel was well acquainted with.

"Well, that's not how we do things here. Everyone except the gaurds and the administrative staff cooks on the fire pits outside their barracks. No exceptions," said Kel. She had said this many times before, and now was no exception; all refugees cook on their own fires. "I am sure every one of you has been shown your barracks. You can go eat now," she finished. As the crowd thinned Kel went to the serving window and grabbed her already prepared plate.

"I didn't mean to be difficult," said a familiar voice.

"It's okay. I know the crown posted you here so you could be with your people, but just make sure to be fair with all the refugees. Every single one of them has been through a lot, and they all deserve your respect."

"Yes, mother," said Cleon (if you didn't pick up on that before than you're a loser). Kel laughed. Her nickname, 'mother', was gained when she started howning the boys to eat their vegetables as pages; very little had changed when she became commander of her own refugee camp.

"Now come. Someone as big as you must be hungry."

"I really should eat with my people…," Cleon trailed off, looking wistfully at Kel's plate.

"Nonsense. You're here as a knight, and all the knights eat in here. Besides, I've had your cooking, and this is much, much better," rebuked Kel.

"Leave it to the professionals, I always say," said Cleon as he grabbed a plate.

"Since when do you say that," asked Kel.

"Since now." This inspired a laugh out of Kel. Cleon smiled, he always loved it when she laughed. Seeing the look on Cleon's face (you know the puppy dog one) Kel quickly sobered up.

"Dinner, then I have to go over infirmary supply requests with Neal," Kel sighed. Not the most exciting thing in the world.

"Hah. Remember our page days when everyone would meet in Neal's room and we would all study together?" reminisced Cleon.

"How could I forget?"

"Those were the days." Several minutes passed as the big knights, reminiscing about days of old, finished their food.

"I'm off. See you later," said Kel.

"Wait, Kel," after Kel stopped, Cleon continued, "I'm a little unsure of what I am to do. I know I help where I'm needed, but where exactly am I needed?"

"Well… Merric needs a new squad leader, and we're always in need of another trainer for the civilians. I know you have experience with that. Just check in with my wonderful clerks, and they'll tell you what to do. I really, really got to go." With one last look at Cleon, Kel ran out of the mess and made her way to the infirmary.


	2. Chapter 2

Kel quickly made her way to the infirmary, aka Neal's realm.

"Hey!" called Kel as she entered the big building. Along one side of the well lighted room was cots for the sick, the other side entierly consisting of a workspace. Or what had once been a workspace. At the other end of the infirmary was the surgery, but that was unseeable behind it's impecably clean curtain (it was a cotton sheet stolen from the washing lines).

"Hey! I'm over here!"

"Over where?"

"Here" Kel finnaly got a glimpse of him as he stood up from between two cots. Kel did not want to know what he had been doing there. "I have those requests here."

"Looks pretty good. We're well withing our quota, even with the extra refugees. The only thing you can't get is the roots. You know how rare they are, and we don't really need them."

"Yes I do!"

"You'll live." Anyone who didn't know Neal as well as Kel did would assume that he was mad at her. In actuality, he was worried.

"You okay?"

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"We do have a guest that comes with lots of baggage"

"Did he really bring that much stuff?" (a/n i'm sorry, i couldn't resist)

"Emotional baggage"

"Oh. Yeah. Right."

"Did you even hear the story?"

"No. At least, not the whole story."

"Well, as you know there was a flood, so Cleon went home to get married. bla bla bla, but as you can probobly tell from the fact that he's here and he's unmarried, it didn't work out so well. It seems Leah, that's her name, had other plans. While Cleon was out saving our beloved country (insert Neal's snort here) she had fallen in love with her hostler (insert Kel's snort here). When the flood came and she got her orders to get married, she freaked. Tried to get the hostler to run away with her, but he talked some sense into her. Got her to talk to her and Cleon's mothers, but that didn't help. Finnally, as a last resort, Leah talked to Cleon himself. She could tell that he was as much in love with you, even after all that time you two spent apart, as she was with her hostler. Cleon tried, he really did, to get out of it, they both did, but the mothers would not budge. You know the drill, 'it's for the future of your land, boy!'. So eventually Cleon thretens to run away if his mother won't comply, but before he can get her alone, a wing of the castle fell into the swollen river. The wing she was in. So after that Cleon knew that even all the money in Leah's dowry wouldn't fix Kennan, so he petitioned the Government for some help, and they sent all of his people who would go here. And that's where we come in. You know the rest."

"Yeah, I do. Lots to think about, gotta go," said Kel as she quickly brushed past Neal. Neal looked over his shoulder. Instead of feeling reassured by thier conversation, he felt worse.


	3. Chapter 3

Kel left the infirmary, but ran into someone.

"I'm sorry," said the man as he tried to pick himself up.

"No, it was my fault, I'M sorry," said Kel as she looked into eyes that were level with hers, no easy feat. "Cleon!"

"Kel, hey," said Cleon warily, "what's going on?"

"Did you love me?" asked Kel abruptly.

"Yes, but…" and Cleon was interrupted,

"Do you still love me?"

"Yes, but…" this time Cleon was interrupted by Kel kissing him. Several passing refugees started whistling, and by the time they were both finished half the camp was watching them.

"I'm sorry," said Kel, seeing the distress plastered over Cleon's face. She started to walk away but Cleon grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Don't leave, please." At his pleading Kel looked up at Cleon, only to see that he was know smiling. He pulled her back, and gently kissed her.


End file.
